There are two things that run in business owner Monica Neeley’s family bloodline for sure: trucking and entrepreneurship.

Monica and her brother Tyler represent the third generation of their family to work in the transportation industry. Together, they founded Tulsa Trailer, a trucking service and repair company, and took over TMS Delivery, a specialty heavy haul truckload freight company, just last year. 

They’re following in the steps of their grandparents and parents, who started Miller Truck Lines nearly 40 years ago. 

“It’s a great feeling,” Monica says of continuing the family legacy, “having the history, the family name, the effort, and work that they’ve put in over the past four decades years transfer into a new era that my generation has the privilege to continue. My brother and cousin and I have worked side-by-side with our family for nearly 15 years now. The experience is invaluable.”

Blue Sky Bank supported the company’s exponential growth by funding one single million-dollar business equipment loan

Monica worked with Blue Sky Bank lender Ryan McDaniel through the application process to acquire business loans for both companies. Most recently, their company TMS Delivery got a Blue Sky Bank equipment loan to purchase its largest asset yet: a dual-lane trailer — a million-dollar investment.

The companies’ operating accounts are with Blue Sky Bank as well, which means Monica is in contact with Ryan and his team several times a week to talk about all things financial.

“Having a banker that you can trust, rely on, call and bounce ideas off of, he welcomes that communication,” Monica explains. “He’s like, ‘The more you talk to me, the more I’ll know about your business, the more I can be forward-thinking on your behalf.’”

Relational banking results in better outcomes for your business

Monica strongly believes that banking should be relational. She’s seen for herself how her relationship with Blue Sky Bank has benefited her companies and their business operations. 

For example, in January 2020, TMS Delivery grew massively, doubling its fleet size. The rapid expansion meant cash flow was tight as the company waited for receivables to come in. Monica went straight to Ryan for bank loan advice.

“That’s the time I go to [Ryan] and say, ‘We’re going to see it pretty slim for the next month until I can start getting these funds to come in,’” Monica says. “He had some great suggestions on how to manage that, and we made it. We’re doing good.”

The relationship also gives Monica some peace of mind when it comes to security. Because Blue Sky Bank is so familiar with her business operations, they can spot an anomaly immediately. The bank has several layers of protection and fail-safes in place to prevent fraud. 

This is by far the most important benefit of the relationship she has with Blue Sky Bank, Monica says.

“I am comfortable knowing that if anything seems or looks irregular, I will get a phone call,” Monica says. “I don’t know if that would happen at a bigger bank because we’re not on a personal level. Blue Sky Bank knows what is normal for my business and whenever something is out of that normalcy, I’ll hear about it.”

Small business owners rely on Blue Sky Bank for support as the business grows

Already, 2020 has been a year of fast expansion, but Monica and Tyler have more grand plans for starting and acquiring more niche trucking-related companies, including a crane service.

As their portfolio continues to grow, they know they’ll be taking their small business loan needs to Blue Sky Bank for long term support. 

Traditional banks have not been able to meet their standards of personal customer service, Monica says. No other bank serves Oklahoma’s entrepreneurs and business owners like Blue Sky Bank, making them the best bank in Oklahoma for business loans. 

“They know the inner workings [of my business] as much as I do,” she explains. 

Does your bank know the inner workings of your business as intimately as you do?

Get in touch with one of our experienced lenders today.

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